


midnight sunshine

by KitiaraM



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade
Genre: Angst, F/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 20:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitiaraM/pseuds/KitiaraM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story I wrote to go with the history for my Gangrel character in a live-action role-playing game of V:tM, based in the One World by Night universe (OWBN).</p>
            </blockquote>





	midnight sunshine

"So I meant nothing to you?" The parking lot outside the bar is full; loud music pounds the air, but he hears every word she says. Tears run down her cheeks. Anger he could face, feel justified getting angry in return. But this... he can't face her anymore and turns away.

He replies over his shoulder as he walks away, "That's right; just another naive college girl looking for a good time with a bad guy. Well, you found it, and now it's over. Go on back to your world." Each word cuts him deep inside. He knows it has to be done but that doesn't stop the pain. _Go away,_ he pleads silently, _go back to your normal life in the sunlight, and forget me, so I can forget you._ He knows the last part is a lie, but the lies we tell ourselves are what keep us going, aren't they?

He can't see her there behind him, but he hears every sob, every movement she makes, and he knows when she runs away. _Good,_ he thinks, and tries so hard to believe it. He hops on his bike but sits there for a long moment before he reaches for the starter. As he does he hears it: the sickening thump, the screech of tires. Dread fills him and he's running before he knows it.

She didn't get far. Blinded by tears, beside herself with grief, it's doubtful she ever even saw the rusted-out old van. Judging by his drunken stagger, and the fact that he didn't even brake until after the impact, the driver never saw her, either. She's been thrown a good twenty feet to lie in a crumpled heap on the edge of the road. The jacket he gave her is ripped, he notes inanely as he kneels beside her. He's afraid to touch her at first; everyone knows you don't move an accident victim--but he sees that it doesn't matter. Her chest is crushed; bright frothy blood bubbles from her mouth, and he knows she only has minutes. 

"Hey, man, she ok? Came outta nowhere, I--" The drunk freezes at the face that turns to him. 

"Go. Away. Now." The words issuing from thinned lips are flat, emotionless, but the drunk shivers, the animal part of every human's brain telling him that here is a predator, a killer, and there's never even a question of fight over flight. 

He doesn't even watch the van leave. He's holding her, watching her eyes clear in that moment that seems to come, just before. The smell of her blood is overpowering, and the beast growls deep inside. He won't let it; this moment is hers. It's all he can give her, now. 

She shouldn't be able to move at all; how can she reach out and touch the red tears on his face? She must see the truth there, that she's dying, but she's looking at something else, and she's smiling. "I knew, I knew you were lying, I knew you lo-"

"Shh, don't...." He gently wipes the blood from her face; more bubbles out with every tortured breath. Why had he picked her that night, so many months ago? She wasn't his usual target type. Had he just had enough of the nameless, faceless ones that were nothing but a way to continue existing? She wasn't gorgeous, but she had a spark, something that called to him of sunlit days, warm breezy afternoons that he would never feel any more. 

And now she wouldn't, either. He should have driven her away sooner, but he'd lied to himself, convinced himself that he couldn't possibly, would never--

Well, he'd been wrong. And he was wrong about something else, too: he could give her one more thing.

Somehow he dredges up a smile, brushes the hair out of her face, and kisses her. The taste of her blood is familiar, still intoxicating. "Of course I love you. I just...."

She can't see him anymore. The awful sound of her labored breathing is stopped. Did she hear him? He should never have spoken to her, never--

He raises his head to howl at the uncaring moon, screaming his rage and pain and grief--

 

He bolted upright in the bed, the scream still tearing from his throat. Realization of where, and when, sank in and he buried his face in his hands, letting out a heavy sigh. A hand stroked his back. 

"Mmrf... you ok?" The voice was heavy with sleep. He turned to look at her affectionately. She always woke up when he had a nightmare, at least enough to comfort him, hold him as they both slipped back to sleep. He lay back down and she snuggled up against him, flinging an arm across his chest. It was easier to brush away the nightmare when the truth of what had happened lay beside him. He hadn't let her die. Well, sort of. He was asleep again before he could continue the thought.

He woke again near duskfall. He carefully slid from the bed, though he really didn't have to worry about waking her now; he was always up before her. He dressed and packed up quietly. He hadn't brought much with him. 

She stirred and he knelt on the bed to kiss her awake. She opened her eyes with a smile, that smile that never failed to evoke the same from him. "Morning, sleepyhead."

She grinned up at him. "It's not morning, you idiot."

"Well, it is for us." He tousled her hair. "So, we didn't get a chance to talk much. How's it going down here? School good, making friends?"

"School is... school. I thought it'd be different, that I'd be doing art all the time, but they want you to actually take tests, and crap like that. You have to learn history!" She said the word like it was a disease and he had to laugh.

"Aw, you'll do fine. How about the people down here?"

She shrugged. " I've gotten to know some of 'em, but I've been pretty busy with school, and work. And the other classes I'm taking; the shooting and martial arts stuff."

He studied her. Since that night, she'd become a lot less trusting. Which was probably a good thing, considering. "I'll have to come watch you at work sometime."

"Oh, for you, I'll do a private show!" She stretched suggestively. "You'll have to come down when we're not having court or anything; I'm always off on those nights, since the owner's one of us." Her smile faded. "Do you really have to go back tonight? Can't you stay another night?"

He forced a grin. "Miss me?" He'd wanted her to do this, to make her own 'life' away from him. To have the chance he'd almost taken away from her, or at least part of it. He couldn't stand it if she only stayed with him because of those ties of blood. So he'd encouraged her, pushed her out of the nest, away from him, so she could make her own decision. It had been hard to stay away from her, but he owed her that. 

She looked down. "Yeah, I do. A lot."

To hell with it. He scooped her up and tossed her in the air, making her squeal. He caught her and kissed the tip of her nose. "Well then, I suppose I can manage one more night." Her answering smile lit up his soul.


End file.
